"MYSTERY PACKAGE" Ambient Advert for Rnli Youth Campaign by Proximity London

Type of Entry: Product & Service
Category: Charities, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages
Title: MYSTERY PACKAGE
Advertiser/Client: ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT ASSOCIATION
Product/Service: RNLI YOUTH CAMPAIGN
Entrant Company: PROXIMITY LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Advertising Agency: PROXIMITY LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Creative Credits
Name Company Position
Debi Bester Proximity London Copywriter
Sonia Singleton Proximity London Art Director
Nick Moffat Proximity London Copywriter
Chris Monk Proximity London Art Director
Georgia Bradley-Grant Proximity London Account Director
Julie Randall Proximity London Planner
Joseph Pirrie Proximity London Account Manager
Details
Results and Effectiveness:
• We reached bloggers in the ‘real world’ by searching their blogs for personal data, so one received a pack at his theatre group, another at his gig, another from a return address when we bought something off eBay: • 7 of the 12 bloggers opened their DM live, challenged their viewers, attended our ‘Gathering’ at HQ and helped turn our campaign into a movement. • Their films attracted nearly 1,000,000 views, 4,000 texts, 150 videos; featured twice by YouTube editors and were ranked ‘Top 10 most-viewed this month’ in UK/France/Germany/Poland/Russia/Australia/Canada; We talked to 12 people ... and reached 11% of 5-20 year olds in Britain.
Creative Execution:
It started as a campaign but has become a movement - by the youth, for the youth and about the youth. One committed to rewriting the way the media stereotypes them and one that gives them a platform to voice their values, views and vision through a medium they’ve made their own. How? We sent 12 subversive ‘mystery packages’ to Britain’s 12 most popular bloggers to open live on their blogs, challenging their viewers to post videos and texts about who they really are. They did ... in startling numbers. And as intrigue built, clamour to reveal our identities intensified. We responded by inviting the bloggers to a ‘Gathering’ at our HQ to find out. After all, who better to champion the youth than a brand with the ultimate reason to believe in them? After all, we have 470 volunteers between 16 and 22 willing to risk their lives every day to save the lives of others.
Insights, Strategy and the Idea:
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a sea-rescue charity facing an unexpected crisis: donors were getting older; and the youth had a lower awareness of it than any other British charity. So, how could we win their hearts? Research revealed that 1.The younger you are when you become aware of a charity, the more likely you are to donate when you reach an older age; 2.Among the youth’s top three concerns is the way the media stereotypes them as a dumbed-down game-numbed knife-wielding generation; 3. Most live inland, and don’t think they’ll ever need saving at sea. So we sought a higher purpose than sea rescue ... and discovered our relevance not in our service, but our values. Values that are part of the ‘character’ of an island nation; values the media accuses their generation of betraying and values they aspire to now more than ever as they take on the mantle of a world ravaged by war, recession and environment destruction.